1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retractable animal leash having a safety band for wrapping around a user wrist and a tethering element for attaching the safety band to a retractable leash housing. The invention further relates to optional leash extension having an adjustable length for tethering two animals with different leash lengths.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional animal leashes (non0retractable) used to tether animals for walking generally comprise a leash element having a user attachable snap hook on one end of the leash element, for attaching to an animal collar, and a user handle on the other end of the leash element for grasping by the user. The user handle generally comprises a closed loop for easy grasping. The user may loop the handle around the gripping hand or around the wrist of the gripping hand to improve the grip.
Generally the leash and the leash handle are made from the same material such a circular cord or rope or rectangular strap or webbing woven from fabric or other fine stands. The fabric may comprise natural plant fibers, such as cotton or hemp, animal hide, such as leather, or a synthetic fiber such as nylon or polypropylene. Usually the diameter or width of the leash material is selected to accommodate the comfort of the user grip and not the desired tensile strength needed to tether the animal. Accordingly, closed loop leash handles are sized for easy gripping and to prevent user injuries. A larger diameter or wider width leash material distributes leash pulling force over more surface area of the hand or wrist. This helps to distribute and constricting or abrasive forces over a larger surface area to reduce any likelihood of injuring a user when the leash is suddenly jerked or strongly pulled. Accordingly, circular leash diameters and rectangular leash widths are generally more than 6 mm for small animals, e.g. less than 9 kilograms, and may be up to about 25 mm for larger animals. Generally, the closed looped leash handle improves gripping and when the handle is looped around the hand or wrist. This helps to keep the leash handle in the control of the user at all times.
While conventional (non-retractable) leashes vary in length, the length is usually fixed such that when the animal is close to the user the leash becomes slack and may become tangled with local objects, with the animal or with the user. Moreover, because a conventional leash can be slack during use, when the leash handle is dropped by the user, the animal may not notice that the leash has been dropped because there is not change in leash tension. Accordingly, the user of a conventional leash may be able to reacquire a dropped leash handle without the animal being aware that the leash was dropped.
Retractable leashes provide a variable length leash that extends its length when the animal moves away from the user and further provide a retractor mechanism that retracts any slack in the leash as the animal moves closer to the user. This action prevents the leash from becoming tangling but also applies a substantially constant tension force on the leash. The tension force pulls the animal collar such that the animal is generally aware that the leash is attached to and pulling on the collar.
Most retractable leashes also provide a braking mechanism and a brake actuator that can be actuated by the user. The braking mechanism stops the leash from retracting or extending and thereby fixes the leash length. Thus a retractable leash performs like a conventional leash when the braking mechanism is engaged. Retractable leases in various configurations are available for large, medium and small animals from a number of manufacturers and distributors including, FLEXI USA, Inc. of Cincinnati Ohio and PET EDGE at www.petedge.com.
Most conventional retractable leash include a housing, for enclosing the retractor and braking mechanisms, and the housing includes a user handle formed integral with the housing. Because the user grips a retractable leash by the handle instead of by the leash material, retractable leashes can employ smaller diameter rope or cord leashes and or smaller width strap leashes. This is different from a conventional leash which is made from materials that are more suited to the user grip than to a desired tensile force. Accordingly retractable leashes generally weight less than conventional leashes because they are smaller in diameter and or width and may be made from lighter weight leash materials.
Early retractable leashes, such as the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,222,409 to Gottlieb, 2,919,676 to Schneider, 3,233,591 to Rogers et al. and 4,964,370 to Peterson, generally include a retractor, a retractor housing, a brake actuator movable with respect to the retractor housing, and a closed loop leash handle, much like the closed looped leash handle of a conventional leash. However, none of these early retractable leashes includes a gripping handle formed integral with the retractor housing. Later model retractable leashes, such as the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,501,230 to Talo, 6,648,261 to Irving, 6,935,277 to Vaccari, 6,405,683 to Walter et al., D392,429 to Plewa et al., D439,302 to Plewa and D519,246 to Plewa all appear to include a retractor, a retractor housing, a brake actuator movable with respect to the retractor housing, and a gripping handle formed integral with the retractor housing. However none of these later model retractable leashes includes a closed loop leash handle suitable for use as a safety device in the event the retractor housing is dropped by the user.
Pet experts' caution, that users of a retractable leash should maintain a firm grip on the retractable leash gripping handle because retractable leash handles can slip or be jerked out of a users hand more easily than a conventional closed looped leash handles that are looped around the users hand or wrist. Moreover, when a user drops a retractable leash housing, in most instances the leash retractor mechanism immediately begins to retract the leash thereby pulling the retractor housing away from the user and toward the tethered animal. This action reduces tension in the leash thereby alerting the tethered animal that the leash handle has been dropped. Moreover, since the retractor housing is being pulled away from the user it is more difficult for the user to retrieve the leash handle quickly. Of even more concern, many animals, and especially small animals, are spooked by the moving retractor housing which appears to the animal to be chasing it from behind. In either case, the tethered animal may run off, or worse, run wildly into the path of a moving vehicle.
Pet experts further caution that retractable leash users should keep a thumb or finger on the brake actuator at all times so that the user can immediately stop an animal in the event that the animal is about to enter harms way. Applicants have noticed that paying close attention to the brake actuator and the movement of the tethered animal also takes the users' focus away from gripping the handle and this can lead to inadvertent handle drops.